The Last Trials
by jlandz09
Summary: Gi Fong and Iroh set off for the Fire Nation once more, only to find themselves heading back to a place Gi Fong never wanted to see again, with new friends. Involves a new OC, a romance, and finally, some more action. Final installment of "The Lower Ranks
1. The Story So Far, or Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar.

Warning! The following prologue contains every plot-ruining spoiler in the history of spoilers. Don't read it unless you have already seen Day of Black Sun, and have already read The Lower Ranks and The Lonely Waves.

The Story So Far

Pakoda was born into a very misfortunate water tribe family. Shortly after birth, Pakoda's father left him and his mother by themselves. The two were borderlining on poverty at best and they had to struggle to find everything they ate. Despite his circumstances, Pakoda grew up relatively normal. As a child he attended school just as any other kid would, and he even discovered that he was a water-bender. Ever since discovering his gift, Pakoda idolized Pakku, the young and arrogant water-bending master. When Pakoda found out that Pakku was holding classes, Pakoda eagerly showed up to learn, but was turned away when Pakku would not teach him for free. With no other options, Pakoda eventually dropped out of school so that he could go and fish all day for his mother's and his food, while training himself in the ways or water-bending. Unfortunately, his mother was captured one day when she was caught grabbing some fish without paying for them. She was taken to the water tribe prison, and Pakoda was left alone to fend for himself.

Pakoda lived like this for a year or two when one day, he was overtaken by Fire Nation spies that wanted information on the North Pole. Pakoda cooperated temporarily, but refused to release information about secret entrances to the tribe. Unfortunately, it was to no avail when the Fire Nation attacked the North Pole that very night. The North Pole withstood the attack, but blame was still placed on Pakoda because he was poor and the pathetic excuse would not upset anyone. As a result of a very biased court ruling, Pakoda was sentenced to banishment from the North Pole the day before his mother was to be released. Unwilling to break any more rules and upset the chief of the tribe further, Pakoda refrained from waiting to see his mother, knowing that the hurt would have been too great had he only been able to visit her once before he left.

After a long and difficult journey, Pakoda found himself on the healing table of a mysterious man named H after Pakoda had plummeted over a large waterfall. H and Pakoda quickly struck up a friendship and eventually, H told Pakoda of a secret brotherhood called the White Lotus Society. Told that he would be granted entrance to the brotherhood, Pakoda made his way to Omashu for the annual Pai Sho Days tournament. Upon arriving, Pakoda stumbled across Pakku, who claimed to come to the tournament every year. It was later revealed that Pakku had other intentions for coming to the tournament in the form of the woman he had loved, Kanna.

Pakoda was breezing through the first rounds of the tournament, with Pakku as his makeshift manager, filling him in on what kind of competition he would be facing. Pakku told Pakoda that he was being watched by last year's tournament winner, a fire nation general that people just called, "the new guy." Pakoda battled his way through the playoffs past future friend Gi Fong, an Earth Kingdom soldier, and winning by way of disqualification of Kanna. 'The new guy' had also been able to win all of his matches and Pakoda would end up facing him in the final match the next day. At a specially prepared lunch, Pakoda and the general, who told Pakoda to refer to himself as Dragon, made pleasant conversation and gained a respect for each other as an opponent.

All through the tournament, Pakoda had been remembering the real reason why he came to Omashu wasn't to win the tournament, but to find who H called the gatekeeper. At the final match, Pakoda realized that Dragon was the gatekeeper he was supposed to be finding, and the match ended in a draw, much to the disappointment to the thousands of fans that had come to see the tournament. In no time at all, Pakoda was inducted into the order. When it was discovered that he had been appointed to be an elite member of the brotherhood, he was immediately given permanent placement in a small village by a lake. Dragon told Pakoda to meet him at a village halfway between Omashu and his new home so that Pakoda could meet his new waterbending master.

On his way to the village, Pakoda stopped to rest at a rest stop, where he casually joked around with a hyperactive little boy named Lao Bei Fong. Lao jokingly gave Pakoda the nickname "Iceberg" and Pakoda in return gave Lao the misnomer, "Toph." Lao resented his name because it was a girl's name, but then decided that the first girl he falls in love with, he will give the nickname, "Toph."

With his new alias, Iceberg met Dragon at the village and the two were talking when all of a sudden, H walked into the building where the two were conversing. Both H and Iceberg suddenly realized that the two would be living together in the new village. The two made their way to their new home, where they lived and studied all kinds of properties of water for the good of the White Lotus Society. Eventually, H died and left Iceberg alone to run the shop and continue the studies the two had started together. Iceberg and Dragon were both eventually made to be council members for the order, and they both made the trip to Omashu every year, where they would share stories of all the wonderful things that happened to them the past year.

One year, Iceberg's first real competition in Pai Sho, Gi Fong showed up at the tournament again, this time much older and a very skilled earthbender as well. As it turned out, Gi Fong had returned because he too was to be inducted into the order, and it just so happened that Iceberg got to be Gi Fong's gatekeeper. Gi Fong was also to be an elite member, and was given instructions to join the Dai Li and to report on anything he found once a year, just like Pakoda did.

Not very long after this, Iceberg got a messenger hawk from Dragon saying that hope had finally come to the world in the form of the avatar's return. Dragon told Iceberg that he would be following the avatar to make sure that nobody harmed him. Eventually, the avatar had found his way to Ba Sing Se. But the fire princess had also made her way to Ba Sing Se and had overthrown the government and taken the Dai Li, along with Gi Fong and Long Feng, the Dai Li's leader, back to the Fire Nation with her to serve as the heads of the lower half of the Fire Nation army, also known as the Lower Ranks. When Long Feng began to bend to the will of the princess, Gi Fong decided that it was best to leave the Dai Li and find somewhere safe deep within the order.

However, the night that Gi Fong made his escape from the Dai Li, the captured avatar was brought into the stronghold Gi Fong had been stationed at, unbeknownst to him. The avatar had been flying on his bison and the Fire Nation was able to take him from the air with their war balloons and bring him into the stronghold to once again face Long Feng.

The avatar's friends had stopped for the night and needed supplies, so Katara; a female waterbender that was traveling with the avatar along with her brother Sokka and the avatar's blind earthbending instructor, Toph Bei Fong; had journeyed into a nearby town for some food and other necessities. It just so happened that the village was the same village where Iceberg was stationed. She eventually found her way into his store and was looking for food when she stumbled and knocked herself unconscious on the floor of Iceberg's shop. When she woke up, she found herself on Iceberg's healing table. The two talked for the rest of the night and explained who they were and where they came from. When Iceberg learned that the avatar was in trouble, he knew that it was his duty to help save him. The two made their way back to the camp and explained the plan to rescue the avatar from the stronghold that Iceberg had familiarized himself with through letters from Gi Fong.

When Iceberg met Toph, he recognized the name instantly, and found himself to be very fond of the young girl that, in a way, he had named himself. He never told her this of course, seeing as she was already very sensitive about matters with her parents, but he felt the need to comfort her and help her get through this difficult time without her friend, the avatar.

At one of their stops, Toph sensed someone in the distance. She ran to find out who it was, and realized that the man was a Dai Li agent. Unfortunately, she was discovered, and was forced to play a blind girl act to keep the man from finding out who she was. Eventually, she found out enough that she knew that she needed to leave. As she took off back towards the camp, the man followed her all the way there. When she arrived back at camp, she turned around ready to face the man who had been chasing her, but she was stopped by Iceberg who claimed to know the man, Gi Fong. Gi Fong claimed to know all about the stronghold where the avatar was being held, so they all agreed that Gi Fong should join them on their journey towards the prison.

Upon arriving at stronghold, the five rescuers went underneath the stronghold and using Toph's metalbending, broke into the stronghold from underground unnoticed. Since Gi Fong had not left the stronghold too long ago, he figured that the authorities probably didn't recognize that he was gone yet, so he would be able to slip in and rejoin the Dai Li for a time while the rest of the group acted as prisoners. The group walked to the prison cells, but were discouraged to find no avatar. Regrettably, the group had claimed that they were prisoners to the jail guard, and so Gi Fong and Iceberg had to leave the three younger travelers to themselves in the prison cell while they went after the avatar.

The two found a secret entrance to Long Feng's hall, which was where the avatar undoubtedly was and made their way in. The hall was big and Long Feng's throne was surrounded by a large pit that fell hundreds of feet and ended with a metal bottom. The two were soon stopped and forced into combat with Long Feng, who knocked Gi Fong unconscious, and barely defeated Iceberg, who had hidden on the wall of the pit and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike back at Long Feng. Suddenly, the other door burst open, and Katara, Sokka, and Toph barged into the room quickly disabling Long Feng and knocking him unconscious. Gi Fong had by this time woken back up, so the avatar, Toph, Katara, Sokka, and Gi Fong were about to go look for Iceberg when Long Feng regained consciousness and began charging at the avatar without the group noticing.

Knowing that it was the only way to ensure the group's safe exit from the stronghold, Iceberg made his reappearance and charged at Long Feng. Long Feng went tumbling over the edge, but unfortunately, so did Iceberg. Overwhelmingly upset at Iceberg's demise, the group finally made it out of the stronghold and back to camp, where they gave Iceberg a proper burial ceremony.

The four kids went on their way and Gi Fong returned to Iceberg's village where he took over as the store manager until he received further instructions from the order.

Meanwhile, Dragon had been captured by the fire nation as well, and had been taken back to the fire nation to an even stronger prison to be held for the rest of his life. While in prison, he began to train himself enough to break out of prison on the day of black sun when all of the guards would be at their weakest. During the eclipse, he tore through the bars of his cell with his tremendous new-found strength, and escaped the prison and made his way to the nearest place that he knew he would be safe.

He trudged into the familiar shop and found the man he was looking for, Gi Fong. He requested a game of Pai Sho with Gi Fong, and the two played until Gi Fong finally realized who Dragon was. The two embraced and formally greeted each other after much time and many changes.

* * *

A/N: Well, here it is. A few housekeeping things first of all, once Grease is over at my school, I will probably be updating nightly, but dress rehearsals start next week, and they will last until 9:30 each night, so don't expect much of anything else to be written until after Grease is over in mid-March.

Second item of business, I will be including A/Ns at the bottom from now on. I like being able to openly talk about things at the end of a chapter rather than try to mask what is going to happen with things like, "this didn't turn out how I expected it to." I may from time to time stick in a little note at the top, but from now on, A/Ns will be at the bottom.

Lastly, is the story itself. Here is what I said at the end of The Lonely Waves, "After much thought, I have decided to make The Lower Ranks into a trilogy, with the final installment following the adventures of Gi Fong and Iroh as they meet up at the next Pai Sho days with some new characters to the story." I'm sorry, but about half of that is a big fat lie. I thought about it afterwards, and realized that there had just been a Pai Sho days, and so it wouldn't make sense for them to go to another one so soon after the last one ended. Plus, I doubt there will be too many new characters to the story. I'm sure there will be one or two, but I have a feeling it will be more like last story where I make connections with existing characters rather than just make up new people to suit my needs. Other than that, yes, this story will follow the adventures of Iroh and Gi Fong as they undertake the quest of something important. I'm kind of in a toss-up between to debates going on in my head. One of them, I can't talk about because it would be a huge spoiler if I did decide to go through with it, but the other is exactly what aspect of the war Iroh and Gi Fong and the rest of the White Lotus are going to end up resolving. I guess if you wanted to, you could leave me suggestions, and I promise you that if it is good, it will definitely make it into the story.

Lastly, I've been thinking of putting makeshift review quotas up for this story. I've seen it done where authors refuse to put up new chapters until they get X amount of reviews. As a reader, I hate it and I sometimes get sick of waiting days for something that someone already has written, so I doubt that this will ever happen. But on the other hand, I don't want it to have to happen. I write for my own enjoyment and nothing else, but it really makes me feel good when I get reviews, and sadly enough, I've had a total of four reviews for the three stories I've written. Like I said, I doubt that I will ever put up a review quota, because that is not why I write, but maybe I am saying is that if you are a regular reader of my stories, maybe you should think about how lucky you are that I don't do that. Not that I think my work is amazing, but...well...you get it I think. Most of us Avatards are smart people.

I think that's it. I guess you can review now if you want, but if you have read the other two stories first like you should have, then I don't think it is necessary to review this part of the story. Unless you read the first two stories and didn't review. If not, shame on you. I review almost everything I read, and I would really appreciate the same amount of respect from other people who enjoy reading fanfictions as much as I do.


	2. The Decision

Chapter 1

Gi Fong and Iroh finally broke their embrace and sat down to discuss all that had happened since they had last seen each other. Iroh had wonderful stories of his travels as a refugee while eluding the fire princess, Azula, with his nephew the prince, Zuko. He told Gi Fong about all of his adventures with the avatar and how he had met him on more than one occasion both as friend and enemy.

"But why were you his enemy? I thought we were supposed to be helping the avatar."

"I know. I guess I should explain. You see, it was my nephew that was chasing the avatar. I'm sure you heard of his banishment from the fire nation just as everyone has."

"Yes, I'm somewhat familiar with the story. He spoke out of turn in some war meeting and his father banished him. He's the one with the scar right?"

"Yes he is," Iroh confirmed.

"OK, well, go ahead and tell me the rest."

Iroh then commenced to tell Gi Fong of everything that had happened ever since the avatar broke from the iceberg. He told him about Admiral Zhao and his unfortunate mishaps with him. He told about all of the wonderful tea houses and variety shops he found on his travels with Zuko. But one thing was still bothering Gi Fong.

"OK, I'm not sure I get it yet. It sounds to me like you were helping your nephew hunt the avatar. How is that not the same as hunting him down and taking him for yourself?"

"My nephew never stood a chance with the avatar. Zhao himself had him locked up and in chains and somehow the avatar still escaped. I knew that no matter how much I appeared to be helping, the avatar would always be eluding Zuko's grasp. Plus, I was also using this time to gain my nephew's trust. There is good in him and I know it, and I also knew that if I could gain his trust, eventually he would be won over to our side."

"And is he?" Gi Fong asked.

"I'm not sure. At Ba Sing Se, I thought he had really changed for the better, but when the time came to choose, he sided with his sister and helped her destroy the avatar. I defended the avatar, and when he was defeated, I was taken back to the fire nation as a prisoner. After the battle at Ba Sing Se, the fire lord welcomed him back home, but even then, he seemed to be struggling with his choices. He was driving himself crazy with some notion he had that the avatar was still alive. I eventually explained to him his ancestry and how he was in fact related to the previous avatar, Avatar Roku. After that, I'm not sure what happened. On the Day of Black Sun, I used the eclipse to overcome my otherwise unskilled firebending guard and break out of the prison. After that, I made my way here, knowing that my best bet at getting news in quick with the White Lotus would be Iceberg. I'm really at a loss for what to do now that the avatar is dead."

Gi Fong chuckled. "Your nephew is sharper than you give him credit for."

"What do you mean?"

"I just left the avatar and his friends about a month ago."

"You mean he is alive?!"

"Yes he is. As a matter of fact, he is doing quite well considering. He and his friends were on their way to invade the capital on the Day of Black Sun. News takes its time getting here, so I haven't heard what exactly happened."

"Why were you with the avatar?"

"Actually, he needed my help if you can believe it."

"No kidding? Tell me everything."

Gi Fong then told his side of the story. He told Iroh that he had been in Ba Sing Se during the coup and had regrettably helped carry it out.

"It wasn't my fault. I didn't even know that I was working for the fire princess until it was too late. I had just taken a vacation and was quite out of the loop for several days until it was too late. Before I knew, Ba Sing Se was claimed for the Fire Nation and the last I heard, the avatar was dead and you were on your way to prison."

He then went on to tell Iroh of his few days working with Long Feng and the Lower Ranks. He told of his escape from the Dai Li when he realized that Long Feng had finally given in to the will of Azula and was nothing more than a puppet for her to use to employ anything and everything she could possibly want in the Earth Kingdom.

"Strangely enough, I too was making my way to this shop. I knew that it would be quicker than trying to make it to Omashu...er, rather, New Ozai. Anyway, I finally resurfaced after my first few nights of traveling underground, only to discover a young blind girl who had convinced me that she was lost from her family."

"Wait, you mean, YOU met TOPH?! How was she?"

"Well, at first, she was suspicious of me. Eventually she ran away forcing me to chase after her. I never expected her to be such a powerful earthbender."

"No kidding," Iroh agreed.

"Anyway, I chased her all the way back to her camp, and then suddenly, I was face to face with Iceberg himself. See, the avatar had been captured and Iceberg was helping his friends retrieve him from Long Feng's clutches. So, I agreed to help them with their mission, seeing as I had just left the place where they were undoubtedly keeping him and I knew that they would need me if they wanted to be able to slip by unnoticed in that horrible place. You're lucky you weren't there yourself."

"At least they had nice guards like you. I had a real jerk who watched over my cell. I feel no remorse for ripping through him and tossing him to the side when I made my escape."

"I can't argue with you there. Long Feng was the only one who recognized us and realized that we had come to rescue the avatar. He engaged me and Iceberg when we were sneaking into his hall. He knocked me unconscious while him and Iceberg continued to fight. Eventually, I awoke to the sound of Toph and the rest of the group rejoicing that Aang was okay. I caught up with them, but Iceberg was nowhere in sight. And then..." Gi Fong stopped. It had been a while since he had last thought about Iceberg. He needed some time before he continued the story.

"Gi Fong, where is Iceberg?" Iroh asked suspiciously and worriedly at the same time.

"It was all a blur. Long Feng...he woke up, and was coming at us from behind. Then suddenly, Iceberg pops out of nowhere and knocks Long Feng into the huge pit that was surrounding the walkway."

"And..."

Gi Fong could only shake his head.

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"So what's our plan of action?" Iroh finally mustered the nerve to ask.

"Well, I was planning on hanging out here until Pai Sho Days. That is, if Pai Sho Days continue in the city of New Ozai. I sent a messenger hawk to Piandao explaining what happened, but I haven't heard back from him yet," Gi Fong answered.

"So, we wait for Piandao's instructions?"

"What else can we do? I've never dealt with anything like this before. All I've ever done is report back to the council once a year for my duties and then go back to Ba Sing Se to continue my work with the Dai Li."

"I don't know. So much has changed since my last formal meeting with any council members. With Iceberg gone, it's likely that the others have met a similar fate."

"Well, what about the rest of the members? What are they willing to do?"

"I'm not sure. In the desert, I came in contact with an outpost that helped me and Zuko get into Ba Sing Se. I haven't heard anything from anyone else since then. Piandao didn't even send me anything in prison."

"Other than Toph, I haven't seen or heard anybody from any part of the society. The only person I can think of that would be worth getting in contact with would be the avatar. But spirits know how treacherous that would be."

"Maybe we should consider that as an option."

"Consider what?" Gi Fong asked, although he knew where Iroh was going with this.

"The avatar needs to learn firebending. The order needs all the help it can get. If we stop by Piandao's place on the way, we can fill him in on everything, and then continue on and find the avatar."

"I guess that's our only choice. Who knows when and if Piandao would send back. After your supposed 'treachery' I wouldn't be surprised if every high class fire nation citizen is having 24-hour messenger hawk surveillance. I'll need a few days to close up the shop for good. I think it best that I just leave this place for good. The village is slowly declining anyway and it's only a matter of time before the Fire Nation gets here."

"I can wait. I'm very weary from my long journey and I need a few days to rest anyway. I can help you with anything you need."

"So it's settled. We leave in three days."

* * *

A/N: It feels so good to finally call Dragon, Iroh, and 'the avatar,' Aang. I convinced myself halfway through the story that it was going to be worth it to include Piandao in the story. I figured that since I have already more than decided to make this a full-blown white lotus story, I better add in all of the canon white lotus members that we know of. I don't know how long I'll be able to update regularly, but reviews won't hurt your chances. I don't care if you hated it, I still want to know what I can improve on. 


	3. The Meeting

Chapter 2

"I must say Iroh, even though I've never seen you in anything but your Fire Nation uniform, you really make that Earth Kingdom attire look good on you."

"Thanks. You're right, I never have worn anything but Fire Nation attire. Even in prison, the rags they gave me to wear were labeled with the Fire Nation insignia."

"You've very welcome."

The two men were finally on their way away from Iceberg's house. Gi Fong decided that it was going to be necessary to take a lot less than he had originally planned, and so the two or three days he thought it would take turned into one afternoon of taking several trips to the town waste area. The next day, the two men left the village and began to make the one day journey to the docks. To remain inconspicuous, Iroh donned an Earth Kingdom outfit for the day while Gi Fong packed some Fire Nation clothes to hide himself while in the Fire Nation.

The two took up residence in an inn about an hour's walk from the docks so that Fire Nation soldiers would not be able to recognize them after they changed clothes.

"It really is too bad that I'll have to pitch these so soon," said Iroh, "I do however, suggest that we do pitch these. No matter how Fire Nation we look, any wrong move could result in an unannounced search through all of our stuff. If they found an Earth Kingdom outfit in your bag, I'd be right back where I started, in jail."

"Good idea. I can earthbend them into the walls. We'll be long gone and forgotten by the time they find these," Gi Fong agreed.

"Hopefully, by the time they find these, we won't have to worry about them finding them anymore. Hopefully, by the time we are discovered, there is nothing more to discover. Hopefully, by the time the Fire Nation realizes we are not with them, this blasted war will be over and we can all get on with a finer way of life. Do you ever get so sick and tired of just hiding around and waiting for good news?"

"I guess so. I'm still kind of used to hiding in plain sight with the Dai Li, and when I wasn't there, I was at Iceberg's cottage, so I don't really know what to expect when we get to the Fire Nation."

"I'll put it like this. You will see more persecution and suffering within your first week in the Fire Nation than you have even in all your years with the Dai Li. The road to Piandao's house is treacherous, there is a good chance many detours will have to be taken now that the avatar is not dead and many of the lower ranks are coming back to help defend the mainland from another invasion. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Iroh, Iceberg is dead. Omashu and Ba Sing Se have fallen. The Dai Li are faithful to the Fire Nation now. Even when there was a solar eclipse, the fire nation palace couldn't be taken. I have no place else to go but the brothers. And if Piandao has survived so far, I couldn't possibly give myself any other option than that. As sure as I am that the Fire Nation is cruel and wicked and treacherous and needs to be stopped, I am sure that this is the only road for me. Wherever you go, wherever you fight, and wherever you triumph, I want to be at your side, doing what I can."

The two said nothing else the rest of the night.

* * *

The next morning arrived and it was time to head to the docks. The ship would take them directly to the Fire Nation, which was only a three-day journey, so Iroh and Gi Fong packed light, but brought more money to buy necessities in the Fire Nation, where Iroh knew he could find some great deals. 

"Once we get there, we have another three day walk to Piandao's estate. If I bring along half of our gold pieces and store the rest in the local bank tomorrow, we'll be able to more than pay our way to Piandao's house."

"Good," Gi Fong responded.

When they arrived at the docks, the two both bought their tickets and waited for the boarding to begin.

"What do we do for food while we wait?" Gi Fong asked.

"Do you like fire flakes?"

"Fire flakes?"

"OK, what about sizzle crisps?"

"I think I had them once. They were OK I guess, but I think I'd rather just wait until we get on board."

"Fair enough. I for one, would like some fire flakes, and some of that hot tea that is being walked around."

Gi Fong looked up. There was a woman that held a tray of several steaming cups of tea. But Gi Fong had immediately lost interest in the tea. His gaze had shifted upward, and as inviting as the tea had sounded at first, he was feeling something much more attractive from the facial features of the woman.

"Yeah, that is some hot stuff there," Gi Fong half-whispered to Iroh.

"Yes, I know. The tea in Ba Sing Se was terrible until I showed up, but in the Fire Nation, heating tea is never a real problem."

"Huh? Tea?"

Nodding understandably, Iroh hatched a plot. "Why don't you go get us some tea, Gi Fong?"

"I...I d-don't know. Wh-what if she...umm...finds out that...I'm...earth kingdom?"

"If she is as good as your drooping mouth and red cheeks are suggesting, it shouldn't matter."

Gi Fong's cheeks burned even hotter. "Fine. I'll do it. But, what should I say?"

Iroh sighed. "I guess you haven't had anyone to teach you this stuff yet have you?"

Gi Fong nodded in agreement.

"OK, I'll coach you through this. Go up as casually as you can. Comment on her hat, order two cups of tea, and sit down over there," Iroh pointed towards an empty bench on the other side of the room."

"Why would I order two cups if you're not going to be with me drinking it?"

Iroh's palm met his face.

"Just do it. She'll watch you go and sit down, and when she sees that you aren't sharing with somebody else, she will get curious and follow you back over there, at which point I will enter, and turn the final key to get you two talking."

"OK..." Gi Fong conceded uncertainly.

He followed Iroh's instructions to a "T". His days in the Dai Li had well trained him for putting on the right face at the right time, so being casual was no problem for him. He made a complementing joke about her hat that she found quite funny. He ordered two cups of tea and went to the bench and sat down. Eventually, as predicted, the girl followed him over to the bench and asked him why he ordered two cups of tea. Gi Fong was about to explain when suddenly Iroh bumped into the young girl.

"Excuse me Miss, I'm so sorry," Iroh apologized. "I didn't mean to interrupt you two. I was just coming over here to sit with my nephew, Li."

"Oh I see, you got the tea for him," the girl concluded.

"What?!" Iroh shouted, "You know I don't like tea! Here, give it to her, I'm going to go get some real food."

Iroh then stormed off.

"He's a strange fellow, your uncle," the girl chuckled. "My name is Atsuko."

"It is a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to sit down?" Gi Fong was actually very pleased with himself. After so many years living his anti-social life with the emotionless Dai Li had convinced him he would never even be able to talk to a girl, let alone sit down and share tea with one.

"Where are you headed?" Atsuko asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I know where we are eventually going, but I don't even know what it is called. Uncle is in charge of that."

"I see," the girl said, "Pretty day huh?"

Not breaking eye contact, Gi Fong replied simply, "Beautiful."

After that, the two remained in awkward silence until they finished their tea.

* * *

A/N: It's official...IrohHitch. "But wait man, you said that this story was going to be more action packed like the first one, now you're even diving into romance? Come on!"

All I can say in that regard is patience. Remember who we're on our way to see? Piandao? Master swordsman? zips lip But alas, I shall say no more.

Could be a while before my next update. Dress week for Grease starts tomorrow and I'll be at the school every night until 9:30, and since I like to write each chapter in one go so that I don't lose thoughts, I probably won't have time to write a whole new chapter when I get home each night, so...yeah, it looks like this weekend is going to be the best bet for a new chapter.


	4. The Arrival

Chapter 3

"You do see the problem with all of this don't you? I mean, seriously, what were you thinking?"

"I don't know, she was just..so...beautiful..."

"So is the white jade plant, but you know what happens when you make the white jade into tea?"

"Yes, I know, I know...but...I couldn't help it."

"You do realize that we are at war Gi Fong. We are going on a WAR mission to find out where we need to go next in a WARzone so that we can help end this WAR!"

"I understand."

"No, I don't think you do. This is the same kind of recklessness that always got Zuko in trouble. We would be so close to the Avatar and he would lose him. He would be so close to finally becoming a good person, and then he would have a moment of weakness, and I would end up in jail."

"I apologize."

Iroh finally sighed and calmed down.

"We can still do this thing. We leave the boat first thing tomorrow morning, no breakfast until we are safely out of site of the village. What time did you tell her to meet us?"

"Around midday."

"OK, good, the ship comes into port about two hours before midday, so we can slip off while she is getting ready to leave."

Gi Fong let out a sigh as well. He knew that inviting her to come along was foolish, but for some reason, he still didn't regret it. Even with the wise man's words, he still held on to the hope that she would find them before they could get away the next morning.

* * *

Gi Fong and Iroh had safely put many hours' walk between themselves and the boat before stopping at a restaurant.

"Now then, we got an early start today. I'm actually glad we caught the wrong boat because now we don't have nearly as far to travel as I thought we did. In fact, I only chose the original route for safety reasons. I was not looking forward to a three day walk. Anyway, if we walk for another couple hours we should actually be in sight of the house believe it or not."

"I can't wait. I've heard you tell stories but I've never quite been able to imagine the impressive sword collection he has."

"It is most impressive," Iroh commented, "There is not a single collection in the world quite like his. But what's more impressive is that he made all of them."

"Well, all this talk is making me anxious. Let's just take lunch to go and get there early."

"Good deal," Iroh agreed.

* * *

Iroh was right. Within the next three hours the two were gazing upon the magnificent estate of legendary swordsman Piandao.

Gi Fong was anxious to see his old friend just as much as Iroh, so the both broke into a sprint to make it to the house as if they would be locked out forever should the sun beat them to the horizon.

They arrived at the main gate and knocked. A man came and answered the knock asking what the two tired men wanted.

Iroh recognized the man from one of the more recent Pai Sho Days and took out his lotus tile from his sleeve.

"We are friends bearing news and seeking shelter."

It was as if the man dropped all sense of posture and pride as he quickly escorted the men into the estate.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is to flash a tile in the middle of the valley like that?" the butler asked.

"Believe me, desperation leads to many things one would consider dangerous," Iroh answered.

With an air of understanding, the butler refrained from any further interrogation of Piandao's latest guests.

"Here it is," the butler announced as he opened the door, "I'm sure Piandao will be more than hasty in his arrival from his quarters once he learns who is here. In the meantime, feel free to have a seat."

The two men sat and relieved themselves of their long and weary travels. But it was all over too quickly when Piandao made his entrance to the room.

"Master Iroh, Master Gi Fong, it is a pleasure to welcome friends such as you to my estate."

"It is an honor to be here Master Piandao," Iroh responded. He then looked over at Gi Fong who seemed to be mesmerized by something. He was staring at some point to the right of Piandao with a slightly drooped jaw indicating surprise.

Iroh turned and soon copied the expression when he saw who had accompanied Piandao to the room.

In the midst of the awkward silence, Gi Fong finally was able to make out a stammered word, and although it wasn't much, it was enough to make Iroh turn and look with the same copied expression from Gi Fong once more.

"A...Atsuko?"

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, I know. Believe me, the story will be getting better from here and the plotline will pick up as well as the action once we get away from Piandao's house.

Read and review, please and thank you.


	5. The Plan

Chapter 4

"So tell me Iroh, how have you been?" asked Piandao.

"Pretty rotten actually."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's quite alright though. I'm fine now and since I'm here, I can relax and be safe for a while."

"Actually, I don't think any of us are safe anywhere nowadays."

"What do you mean?" asked Iroh.

"I'm just speculating. Normally, I hear and receive messages daily from all over the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, but ever since the Day of Black Sun, I haven't gotten any news from anyone. Not even Pakoda."

"Well, it pains me to say it, but there is a reason for that," Gi Fong piped up. He had been quiet the whole time with nothing but confusing thoughts on his mind. Finally, when someone mentioned Iceberg, he was able to snap into consciousness again.

"I'm afraid Pakoda has left us," Gi Fong continued. "I was there, and I saw the whole thing. Pakoda and myself were helping rescue the Avatar from Long Feng's stronghold. Pakoda and I stormed his hall, but he knocked me out and began battling Pakoda. When I woke up, the Avatar's friends had found their way to the room as well and had disabled Long Feng. I made my way over to them, but Pakoda was nowhere to be found. We decided to go search for him, but suddenly, we felt Long Feng approaching us. Pakoda had been hiding and when he heard Long Feng charging, he jumped out and knocked Long Feng and himself into a deep metal pit. That was the last we saw of him."

Piandao pondered these things for a moment as he sipped his tea. Finally, he spoke up.

"We need to leave this place."

"What?" Gi Fong asked, "But we just got here! We're finally safe. Iroh is finally safe, and now you suggest we go back out there and invite the Fire Nation to come capture us all?"

"Yes, actually, I do. We need to go to the stronghold. If the rumors I've heard are true, most of the order has been captured and taken there, just like the Avatar was. If we want the Avatar to stand a chance when he goes to face the Firelord, then it is time for the order to finally make themselves known. We will go to the stronghold, free the prisoners, gather up all of our forces, and we will attack the Fire Nation capital within the month."

"Yes, but, how are we going to get into the stronghold?" Iroh asked. "Gi Fong said that the last time they got in, they had Toph who metal-bended the floor open. We don't have Toph now."

"Iroh, Gi Fong, there are always a million reasons not to do something. I ask you, what is the reason that we should do this?"

The two stared at each other. They knew in their minds that what Piandao said was true, and that it was the only way to win this war.

Simultaneously, the two could only bow their heads and agree, "We're in."

* * *

"So, do you mind telling me what you were doing on a Fire Nation ferry?"

Gi Fong had finally found Atsuko in the large estate and was ready for some answers.

She only smiled and replied, "Do you mind telling me what you are doing at the estate of Piandao?"

Gi Fong stopped. She had a point.

The two sat down next to each other and looked at the horizon, at the sunset.

"So, how long have you been a member?" Gi Fong asked.

"Since I was of age, about four years ago. It was all boring stuff at first. They made me get a job on that ferry and serve tea, but then, when the Avatar returned, they had me spend half the year at Piandao's house to help him with some of the research he can't do on his own. You just happened to catch me on my last night on the ferry."

"I see."

"How about you? Where are you from?"

"I was born in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se. I was a Pai Sho prodigy from youth, and actually, I played against Pakoda in the playoffs at Pai Sho days the year that he was inducted to the order. I eventually returned and focused less on Pai Sho and more on earthbending, which I also discovered I was quite good at. Eventually though, Pai Sho made its way back into my life when I found a strange tea shop in the middle ring one day. There was a Pai Sho board and a man sitting there awaiting any possible opponents that might be up to a game. Seeing as I hadn't played in a long time, I decided to go ahead and give Pai Sho another go.

"I came pretty close to beating the man, but obviously, he was a member of the order already, and he knew the secrets of winning practically every time against outsiders. He recognized my potential immediately and told me of how I could help the world if I only go to Pai Sho days in Omashu again and follow his instructions exactly. I had just come of age at the time, so I was already on my own and since I didn't have a real job yet, I figured that saving the world was my duty. So I went. And the rest is history. It's ironic actually, because it was Pakoda's year to be gatekeeper, so I got to be inducted through him. It was really neat."

He looked over at Atsuko. She was listening intently with her gaze fixed upon Gi Fong as he told his story. But then, he got lost in her eyes. They were not hazel as most Fire Nation citizens were, but they were green, like an Earth Kingdom dweller.

"You aren't Fire Nation, are you?"

"Ew!" she shouted, "Or course not! I mean, not that there's anything wrong with it. Just look at Piandao and Iroh in there. But no, I can't imagine growing up in this horrible place."

Gi Fong laughed for a few seconds and then sighed. He couldn't believe it, she was funny too.

"You aren't coming with us tomorrow are you?"

"Of course I am. I spend half of the year with Piandao. If I was to leave him, I would not be fulfilling my duties.

"Besides," she pounded the ground with her fist causing a rock to fly far off into the distance, "I'm not a half-bad bender myself."

Gi Fong nearly fainted.

* * *

The two had talked for quite a long time, and then decided that it was probably best that they go back to the house now that the night was finally coming on.

They made their way into the kitchen and got themselves some of the leftover tea from Iroh and Piandao's long talk. They sat down in front of the fireplace.

But for some reason, Atsuko was still shivering.

"You still cold?" Gi Fong asked.

"A little."

"Then here," Gi Fong said as he grabbed the blanket from the couch and draped it over the two of them.

"I'm glad we met," Atsuko said as she leaned her head on Gi Fong's shoulder.

"Me too," Gi Fong replied, "Me too."

* * *

A/N: Aww, isn't that precious? I may just have to go and make some hero generations of those two.

Not much to say for this chapter, as it pretty much speaks for itself. Read and review, please and thank you.


	6. The Question

Chapter 5

Iroh awoke and walked into the kitchen to find Piandao already up with the tea heating.

"Where is Gi Fong?" Iroh asked.

"In the living room."

"OK, I need to go talk to him."

"No, he's asleep in the living room."

"What? Why didn't he go to his room?"

"I'm not sure. Probably the same reason Atsuko didn't go to her room last night."

Iroh's face fell as he finally caught what Piandao was implying. But rather than leaving things up to chance, he decided that he needed to take a look himself.

But there they were. Atsuko's head was resting on Gi Fong's shoulder and Gi Fong's head was resting the opposite way on Atsuko's head. Both were smiling.

Iroh returned to the kitchen nodding his head.

"What are we going to do about this?" he asked.

"What can we do? Separate them? Keep them at odds with each other? Sit between them at every meal? Spy on them? Regardless of what we do, they will find a way to be together. You should know this better than anyone after what almost happened on the ferry."

"You are suggesting we let them learn for themselves?"

"I am suggesting we hope they don't have to learn for themselves."

* * *

Atsuko awoke first, but was followed by Gi Fong a few seconds later. Both raised their heads, acknowledged the situation, looked down and then towards each other, and then both smiled and blushed simultaneously.

Stretching, Gi Fong spoke first, "I'll go make us some tea."

"That sounds lovely," Atsuko replied.

Gi Fong entered the kitchen to meet cold stares from Iroh and Piandao.

Trying in vain to lighten the mood, Gi Fong spoke up, "Uh...good morning? Beautiful day today...right...Piandao?"

"Listen Gi Fong, you don't have to worry. Neither me, nor Piandao condemn you for what happened last night."

"We only slept together! We just fell asleep in front of the fire!"

"I understand, but still, we just want to let you know that even though we are not going to officially support this, we are not going to prevent anything. I understand as well as Piandao does that something as special as this can be ruined so fast by meddling."

"Look, I don't know what you two are worried about, we just fell asleep together under a blanket."

"I understand Gi Fong, all I want to do is make sure that you don't make any mistakes. We are going into a very tight situation which requires no fooling around. Do you understand this?"

"Of course Iroh. You know me better than that."

"For all of our sake, for all of the world's sake, I should hope so. Now then, let's have some tea. Call Atsuko in, we need to discuss our course of action."

After all four had settled around the table, plans started to form. Iroh would handle all of their traveling necessities in the Earth Kingdom while Atsuko would use her employee ID to get the four seats back to the Earth Kingdom. Once in the Earth Kingdom, Iroh and Gi Fong would lead the four to the stronghold, where, once again, they would tunnel underneath and come up from the inside.

"Did you leave any trace at all of where you had entered last time Gi Fong?" asked Piandao.

"No, Long Feng had just tumbled over the edge and we knew that the rest of the Lower Ranks and the Dai Li would not be far behind us, so Toph made sure that no knew we were there."

"We'll have to guesstimate then where to come up," Piandao concluded.

Once inside, Gi Fong would make his way back to the storage room where the Dai Li uniforms were stored and would once again slip in and become an agent again. He would then pull the same stunt as last time and lead Iroh and Piandao towards the prison cells. From there, it was a matter of convincing the prison guard to let Gi Fong take the rest of the prisoners with him. Once out, they were home free and would turn around and head back for the Fire Nation to meet up with the Avatar and discuss final plans.

"It seems simple enough, but what will I be doing during all of this?" Atsuko wondered.

"You have the most important job. Taking a bunch of prisoners downstairs would be too suspicious. You will be going with Gi Fong and securing a Lower Ranks uniform and from there, heading to the roof to get us a balloon," Piandao answered.

"All by myself? How can I make sure that nobody tries to stop me?"

"First of all, no one will really suspect anything until all of the prisoners get up there, but once that happens, you'll have the rest of the order plus us to help you out," Piandao explained.

"Plus, only a few Dai Li agents are placed there anyway. We always figured that there was too unlikely a chance that someone could sneak or battle past all of the guards on the lower floors and make it up the roof, so we never left the airfield heavily guarded," Gi Fong added.

"OK, I guess I can do that. I'll need plenty of earth to bend in case I get in trouble though."

"Don't worry, we always kept a large pile of rocks wherever there were any amount of agents in case something did happen. Don't worry, you won't be out of your element." Gi Fong assured.

"Alright, I can do it."

"Good," Iroh said, "and from there, we will just fly right back to the Fire Nation. We'll probably land back at Piandao's house, but from there, it is likely that we will find the Avatar at the Western Air Temple where he is likely to have escaped after the invasion."

"Then it is settled?" asked Piandao.

"Yes."

"Yes."

"Yep."

"Good, then we leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

Gi Fong knocked on Atsuko's door. "Decent?" he asked.

"Anytime for you," she answered.

He opened the door to find her in her nightgown with her bag next to her bed very lightly packed from the looks of it.

"Not bringing much?" he asked.

"Nope. After living on a ferry for a total of about three years, you learn from observance not to bring anything you're not prepared to lose."

"I see. I pack light as well, but not that light. I guess it's because I never really had anything other than the necessities. And even then that only consisted of a canteen, a piece of rock from my childhood home, and a second set of clothes."

"I see," Gi Fong paused. "Is this wrong?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Us. Iroh and Piandao saw us this morning. Iroh is worried. I don't know what about, I mean, we haven't really done anything. But for some reason, he said that although he wasn't going try to stop us, he didn't necessarily support it."

"Well what do you think?" she asked.

Gi Fong thought and then answered, "I think you're beautiful."

They were dangerously close now. They had gotten over the fear of holding hands the previous night, but this time, it was their faces that had come so close to contact. As Gi Fong closed his eyes, he barely caught a glimpse of Atsuko doing the same as they finally came together.

As they pulled apart after a few seconds, Gi Fong was positive that it wasn't wrong, and dove in for another.

* * *

A/N: Awww...mushi mushi, lovey lovey. Since that is pretty much canon now, I can finally focus on getting the group to the stronghold and finally hitting some of that action and suspense that I've been keeping relatively absent from my stories lately. 


	7. The Recognition

Chapter 6

Aboard the ferry, the group stayed relatively divided in the case of being spotted by Fire Nation guards. While Piandao was perfectly OK to hide in plain site, Gi Fong was an escaped member of the Dai Li and Iroh was a fugitive from a maximum security Fire Nation prison. While Atsuko had nothing to worry about herself, she was still sad to not be able to be with Gi Fong as much as she wanted to.

The group did however get two rooms. However, Iroh made sure that he was with Gi Fong and Piandao was with Atsuko. The two were now spending every moment they could together, and it was quite unnerving for Iroh to see such carelessness with two such high ranking members of the order.

At one of their few meetings aboard the ferry, Iroh and Piandao discussed this.

"It is a danger to themselves and to the mission," Iroh said.

"I understand Iroh, but you have to realize that this happens to everyone. They have to learn at some point, and if we try to do something about it now, they would never forgive us. It is more dangerous for us to go in at odds with each other rather than this much smaller risk. I've actually found some relief to their relationship myself. Atsuko is relentless in her boredom. She seems to always want to do something, and who can blame her? I would too if I was stuck on this dreadful boat for six months. And now that she has Gi Fong, I have had some time to myself, and believe me, there is nothing more priceless than alone time."

"Believe me, I understand. While there was no comfort in my circumstances, my time in prison gave me a real chance to look back at my life. I realize now that if I had known then what I know now, I would have been in prison a lot longer, but I would also be much happier."

"So, what do you make of the Avatar's defeat on the Day of Black Sun?"

"Believe me, it was more of my niece's victory than the Avatar's defeat. He had a flawless plan, but on the boat heading back to Ba Sing Se, Zuko was not the only one to give me visits. While his were slightly more pleasant, Azula did seem to have interest in certain things that I knew. Little did I know that the Avatar was planning anything. In fact, she told me herself that the Earth King was the one responsible for her knowledge. But I know there was something else she wanted to know about."

"What do you suppose it was?"

"I'm not sure. My niece is not only powerful in her skills as a firebender, but she is also gifted like her father in that she can manipulate the people around her for her own purposes in nearly any way she could choose. I know Zuko better than to give his sister any lead that he didn't want to give her. I knew from the beginning that his betrayal of myself was conflicted. The order was responsible for our safe arrival in Ba Sing Se, and I know that he was able to gather much information about the brotherhood even from the little bit of surface behaviors that he saw. He knew that even though he betrayed me, it would be wrong to give up any information about what he had seen."

"I see. He knew that his information would be useful someday in the case that things did not get so homely after his arrival at the palace."

"Yes, but even though he denied knowing anything, Azula was able to sense that Zuko was hiding something from her. So she came to me."

"And what did you do?"

"I chatted with her. I talked about tea and how nice it was to finally be going back to the Fire Nation after so many years, anything I could to get her off my back. Her anger increased and eventually she gave up on me. Her visits got less and less frequent and eventually, we were back home and she never visited me at all; something I am thankful for to this day."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Atsuko had scored a rooftop all to themselves and now the couple were sitting and watching the sun set once again, only this time, over an ocean.

"I'm tired," Gi Fong said.

"Me too."

"No, I mean, I'm tired of all this. I'm tired of this war. I'm tired of all the in cognito. But most of all, I'm tired of that stupid stronghold."

"I understand. I just left this ferry, and now I'm right back."

Gi Fong paused. "Do you realize though that the war is almost over?"

"I know. I'm so ready for it."

"That's not really what I meant. One way or another, this war is going to be over by the end of summer. The Avatar has been defeated once already and he didn't even face the Fire Lord. I know this is not what the order teaches us, but every once in a while, I have to wonder...what if we fail?"

"Gi Fong..."

"No, seriously, think about it. It's been hard already, but what if the Fire Nation finally wins this time. Ba Sing Se has already fallen. I took down the wall myself. I was there when a man sworn to protect the Earth Kingdom and the city of Ba Sing Se bowed down and conformed to the will of Azula. I don't want to lose this war."

"I try not to think about it too much."

"Wait, I'm not done. I don't want to lose this war, because it might mean that I lose you."

"Gi Fong, don't talk like that."

"Promise me we will never be separated."

Atsuko leaned over and gave Gi Fong a brief but sweet-as-honey kiss.

She whispered, "Promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We need to leave now," Iroh whispered to Gi Fong as the ferry finally was within sight of the dock.

"What's the problem?"

"The ferry boat guard, he was also my prison guard. He must have been severely demoted when I broke out, and I'm sure that he will be at the gate of the boat when we disembark. he will surely recognize me if we give him the chance. Find Atsuko..

"Here," she said.

Iroh peered behind Gi Fong and realized the unlikelihood of the two not being together at any given moment as he spotted her squeezing his hand.

"Very well. Piandao is waiting for us at the stern. We jump when we are within swimming distance of this beach. It's only a few minutes swim from..."

Iroh was cut off by the blast of the ship's horn and the shout of a voice more than familiar to Iroh.

"There they are! Grab the old man!"

* * *

A/N: jlandz09 promises, and jlandz09 delivers...next chapter. Hopefully, the cliffhanger lets you know what I'm talking about. Grease goes up again tomorrow straight through the weekend, meaning a new chapter is highly doubtful until Monday. Sowwy.

Oh, and I promise, the Atsufong fluff is going to decrease now. I just wanted to set up their relationship so that I could mess with them more later, plus, I didn't think three could pull off a heist at the stronghold like what I'm planning. But can four? Hmmm...we shall see.

Read and review, please and thank you.


	8. The Enemy

Chapter 7

"Quick! We need to get to land! We can't bend here!" yelled Gi Fong."

"I'll hold them off for now," shouted Iroh back.

Gi Fong grabbed Atsuko's hand and began to lead her down the ramp as quickly as they could go. Their feet reached solid ground, and they quickly turned ready to fight, but to much disappointment that Iroh had already beaten them to it. He had already narrowed it down to himself and the captain, a skilled hammer fighter.

Unfortunately for Iroh, his new-found strength was not matched by his speed. With the range of the hammer fighter's attacks, Iroh was forced into a wide-range match, rendering all of his strength and bulk utterly useless. He had been holding off so far, but he knew that he was going to have to firebend if he wanted to get out of this before more troops showed up.

Iroh slowed himself down and began to breath. He unleashed an unmerciful force of fire upon the captain who was knocked unconscious. Iroh ran over to check the man to see he was not burnt. When satisfied, Iroh looked around to see no one left on deck. But when his eyes moved to the helm, he could see that there was still one soldier left heading for the flares. Iroh knew what would happen if that soldier reached those flares. It had been flares that found the Avatar in the first place, and he knew that any ship that was ever within sight of the flares had a standing order to report directly to the sight, no questions asked.

Iroh further calmed his breathing. He felt the energy in the air. With two fingers extended, he reached out and mentally grabbed the energy and began pulling. Iroh almost couldn't bear to take the mental strain of pulling apart the bonded energy in the air. Then, he found it. He found the hole in the energy and began to pull even harder until he finally felt the positive and negative energy give way and begin bending the will of Iroh.

Iroh had not perfected his new technique yet. It really wasn't even fair to call it a new technique, seeing as it was still lightning. But he knew the difference. He knew that Azula and Ozai had always been taught as he had that lightning was a force to be reckoned with. He was told that lightning would not bend to your will and that you had to only guide it, not control it. But among workouts, Iroh also meditated much in prison. He meditated and prayed for Zuko, the Avatar and his friends, for the Fire Nation, and even for Azula and Ozai, that they may yet save themselves from facing their impending fate. But he had also began to think more about firebending, specifically lightning. Thinking about Zuko tore him apart inside, and that was what gave him his new ideas.

He had learned that lightning was formed when positive and negative energy were separated. He knew that when he moved his fingers he was merely separating the energy and not putting any real force upon it. But then, one day, thinking of Zuko's failure with lightning and how Zuko was not strong enough yet to handle lightning, Iroh realized something. He was strong enough. Iroh knew that he could do it. He discovered that to separate the energy, there had to be holes for the bender to pass through to break the bonds of it. But he knew that if a strong enough bender ever found a hole big enough, he could literally pull the energy apart. But most importantly, Iroh knew that if the bender was strong enough to actually pull the energy apart, then that person would be strong enough to control when and where the energy collided back together.

And thus training resumed, and soon enough, Iroh found himself in prison able to make small bolts appear and control them so accurately that he could shock his guard even after he had closed the door and turned the corner to go back down the hall.

Finally sensing the perfect path for the lightning to take, Iroh unleashed all his fury upon the helm, completely destroying it, including the flares and all other means of communication.

Gi Fong and Atsuko could only stare in awe.

�

* * *

�

"That was truly amazing, Iroh! You are the most powerful fire-bender in the entire world," exclaimed Gi Fong. Piandao was even nodding in approval at the statement.

"The complement is accepted in the spirit in which it was given, but it really is a shame that the technique even had to be used at all."

"What do you mean?" asked Atsuko, "A power like yours should be used for the good of man-kind, not be stored up for special occasions. You don't go easy on the milk from a pig-cow and only milk the thing a few times a week to conserve it. It would run dry, the same applies to great power such as yours. We wouldn't even have to use the original plan if you were willing to just unleash all of your power on that place. We'd bust through there in no time."

"Let me ask you something Atsuko. Have you heard the story of 'The Mouth of the Bear-Wolf'?"

"No, I don't believe I have," she replied.

"Then allow me to tell it to you."

Iroh cleared his throat and continued.

"There was a family of bear-wolves. The bear-wolf is a magnificent creature, with it's great claws and wonderfully sharp teeth. The bear-wolf is a carnivore and is known for their distinct hunting abilities in the wild, but they don't take a particular liking to humans. They lived peacefully in the forest, but one day, the youngest cub ran off and stumbled into the nearby village. Recognizing the danger of the bear-wolf, but remaining ignorant to all the facts, the men of the village attacked and killed the bear-wolf cub by cutting off it's head. They dumped the carcass in the nearby forest just outside the village, and discarded all of the head, save for the mouth. They hung the mouth on a pole at the entrance to the village as a warning not only to other villages, but to other creatures in the forest.

"Now, as I'm sure you've guessed, the mother bear-wolf eventually found the carcass, and became manically depressed. Blinded by her sadness, she ran in and killed the men of the village all in one night. Now, here is the question you must ask yourself. Pretend you are the mother of one of the men, would you be justified in going out and seeking revenge on the bear-wolf mother?"

"Yes, I think I would. She killed my son, and I wouldn't stand for it."

"But your son killed the bear-wolf cub."

"That doesn't give her the right to kill my son."

"Oh, so it's a crime for your enemy to kill your son, but killing the enemy's son is revenge, and thus justified?"

Atsuko started, but then realized the point of Iroh's story.

Iroh continued, "You must remember that the Fire Nation is not evil. It is the Fire Lord and government that we are fighting. Most citizens are getting sick of the war anyways. You must realize that somewhere, tonight, two mothers will receive the worst news of their life. One will live in the Earth Kingdom, and another in the Fire Nation. Just because we are at war with the Fire Nation does not make them animals without feelings or emotions. Look at myself, or at Piandao. I was next in line to be the Fire-Lord, and look how I turned out."

"I understand, but it is so hard when all you see are the bad times. When you don't have any of the good part of the Fire Nation to reference, it makes it hard to see the good, especially in the soldiers," Gi Fong commented.

"One of the best examples I can make of what you are saying is none other than my nephew Zuko. In Ba Sing Se, he went through a transformation. He was a different person and he acted out of selflessness and kindness rather than shame and self-pity. He was a new man, and he was on the road to becoming a respectable young person, until Azula came along and convinced him that it was not the road for him."

"I think what Iroh is trying to say is that anyone is capable of great evil or great good. If you look at a Fire Nation soldier, you don't see an individual with feelings or emotions or a great sense of humor. You see an enemy, a person you would never get along with for no other reason that the fact that he was born on the other side of the ocean."

"I think I understand now," said Gi Fong.

"Me too," Atsuko agreed.

"I'm glad. Now, let's make some dinner," said Iroh.

"No thanks, Atsuko and myself would like to dine privately tonight. Port towns are always great for restaurants, so I'm sure we'll find something."

"Thanks for the offer though," Atsuko tagged on, clinging to Gi Fong's hand as they exited the room.

Later that night, Iroh and Piandao looked at each other over their evening tea, both with the same thought in mind.

They both sighed when they realized this, and commented simultaneously under their breath, "Young people."

�

* * *

A/N: I liked this chapter a lot. It is basically the message from "The Avatar and the Firelord" but I still thought it would be nice to tie it in somewhere else in the Avatar universe as well, so there it is. Hope you like it. Read and review, please and thank you. 


	9. The Coup

Chapter 8

It was the most romantic night the two had shared yet.

They had enjoyed being alone many times already in their relationship, but they were forced to be careful before. They were in the Fire Nation before, where they had to watch their backs, but now, they were in the Earth Kingdom. They were finally home to their natural element and they finally felt free.

"It has been four years since I have set foot on Earth Kingdom soil," said Atsuko.

"Really?"

"Yes. After joining the order, I was either on the ferry, or at Piandao's estate."

"But what about when the ferry came into port? Surely you were allowed to go and eat somewhere before coming back for the return journey."

"No. The Fire Nation was only using the town as a port. As long as they were friendly with the town, the locals wouldn't become violent."

"Wait, the Fire Nation was worried about violence?"

"Actually, yes we...I mean they, were. A lot has changed since the early years of the war. One of Sozin's19" value"Sizing's, Seizing's, Son's, Sonni's, Sin's, Rozina's, Solon's, Spain's, Soling's, Suzann's, Suzi's, Skin's, Sonia's, Suzie's, Sabin's, Stein's, Rosin's, Satin's, Skein's, Swain's, Susan's, Sony's, Zion's, Sign's, Sine's, Sun's, Zing's, Spins, Sn's, Zn's, Zorn's, Sins, Size's, Sons, Seine's, Sonny's, Scion's, Sizing, Sonnie's, Dozens, San's, Sunni's, Zen's, Sines, Sings, Sinus, Sonnies, Zines, Zings, Skins, Seines, Cozens, Rosins, Satins, Skeins, Stains, Steins, Swains, Suns, Zions, Signs, Sizes, Scions, Sunnis, Zens, Sans, Seizes, Sens" / main mistakes was using the comet against the Air Nomads. If he had attacked Ba Sing Se with the comet's power, the city would have surely fallen to the will of Sozin. But since his concentration was on the Air Nomads, the Earth Kingdom had time to prepare. Yes, the Fire Nation has easily walked into many Earth Kingdom villages and taken them for their own, but you have to realize that those villages were what they were, villages. Strong port towns like this one have a much more dense population of benders, thus more readily available soldiers should the need make itself present. That is why the Fire Nation is holding off and remaining good friends with this port. They want to use the port, but after the war started, the main cities of the Earth Kingdom began building their armies. The Fire Nation could easily overthrow this town and claim it for its own, but at what cost? They would lose many soldiers to the cause and when they did win, they would have to send nobles and even more soldiers here to occupy the port."

"I see now. Rather than taking over, the Fire Nation is appearing to be friendly to these people so that they can still use the port at little to no cost for them."

"Yes, the only catch is that we have to follow the city's rules, one of which being that no Fire Nation soldiers are allowed to step foot off of any boat that uses the ports."

"Now it makes sense."

"I can't begin to tell you how much it hurt to be so close to home, but not be quite able to grasp it and come back all the way."

"I'm so sorry," said Gi Fong as he wrapped his arm around her and the two drifted off on the hillside.

* * *

"Now, how far is it to the stronghold?"

"One week's walk." answered Iroh.

"An entire week? We don't have the money Iroh! What do you expect us to do?"

"As the trail lies, yes, it is a week's walk to the stronghold. But, if you must know, as the bison flies, it is a mere two days."

"Well there. Why didn't you suggest that before?"

"Because I would rather risk starvation than go through that place again."

"What place? You must understand Iroh, I am not familiar with the Earth Kingdom other than the direct routes to Omashu. Please enlighten me as to what this 'place' is."

"It is a swamp."

"A swamp? You're scared to go through a silly swamp?" asked Piandao in disbelief.

"Yes, I am. And if you know what is good for you, you won't suggest that we risk it."

"What risk is there Iroh? It's a silly swamp for Avatar's sake! Does the swamp eat people or something?"

"Worse."

"What do you mean?"

"The swamp scares you," answered Iroh.

"People-eating swamps don't scare you?"

"No, that is not what I mean. The swamp, it shows you things. Things that you never wanted to see again, or thought you would never see again, or never even knew existed. The frightening thing is that you never know which one of these three it truly is."

"So, the swamp makes you hallucinate?"

"In a sense yes, but the swamp is more than that. The swamp is alive, Piandao."

"I still don't see the harm in using it to our advantage. Remember, we have Gi Fong and Atsuko now. Besides, aren't there swamp guides or something?"

"I guess you're right. As long as we stay with the swamp guides, we should be fine."

"I'm glad you agree with me. And I'm sorry I've been short with you lately. I guess I'm just still a little frustrated with Atsuko for all of her carelessness."

"How so?"

"Oh you know, her and Gi Fong going off together like this at night. She keeps telling me that the port is not controlled by the Fire Nation, and that Gi Fong and herself are perfectly fine, but I'm not convinced. You know better than I do that the Fire Nation is not so easily swayed by local governments."

"Yes, I do. But remember what we decided. We promised ourselves that we would not interfere with their relationship. We are not their parents, and what they do outside of the order is none of our business."

"I guess you're right. But something still worries me about all of this non-violent Fire Nation business."

"I know what you mean. It is not like the Fire Nation to bend so easily to the will of the local governments."

A knock on the door was heard. Iroh got up and answered to find the landlord of the inn at their door.

"You must leave now!" said the landlord in a panicked frenzy.

"What do you mean?" asked Piandao.

"I know you guys are Fire Nation, and I know that you are on our side, but they know too!"

"Who knows?" asked Iroh.

"The soldiers. They are coming here to take you and your friends away."

"How can they do that? I though this island was untouched by the soldiers of the Fire Nation."

"It was, until tonight. It happened so fast. Since my inn is on the outskirts of town, they will come here last, but all of our earth-benders from town have vanished, and so has our leader. The flag over the port is gone and has been replaced by a Fire Nation flag. It could have only happened a few hours ago because the ports are watched carefully during the day time."

"We need to find the other two," said Piandao.

"Agreed," said Iroh.

"Consider your room paid for. I've kind of been eavesdropping, and I know that you guys are trying to help the world. The room's on the house. Just go!"

* * *

Atsuko awoke. She recognized the hill that she had fallen asleep on, but Gi Fong was not there like she remembered him being.

As the full moon reappeared from behind the clouds, she looked around the hill to see if he had gone somewhere alone for a little while.

As she turned to go to the top of the hill, she tripped over something on the ground. She looked down to see what she had tripped over.

She gasped in horror as the pale moonlight showed the deep tracks of the coal powered metal contraptions used by none other than the Lower Ranks.

* * *

A/N: Haha, the road has had its twists and turns but it finally deposits us here. Finally, the story hits its stride and gets back to the good old 'save the world' attitude that the first story had. I apologize that it took so long to get there, but trust me, the remaining chapters are going to satisfy not only yours, but my need for action and adventure as well. Read and review, please and thank you. 


	10. The Escape

Chapter 9

Iroh and Piandao were almost down to the city when they spotted Atsuko waving her arms frantically.

"They've taken him!" she was screaming.

"Who?" said Iroh, although the answer was obvious.

"What do you mean 'who'! You know good and well who!"

"How long ago?" asked Piandao.

"I...I'm not sure."

"What?"

"You mean the giant metal contraption and the sudden disappearance of the guy right next to you didn't quite stick in your memory well enough?" shouted Piandao.

"I...was asleep. We both were, and when I woke up..." she couldn't continue.

Iroh sighed.

"The tracks lead out of town. Our innkeeper has already checked us out of the room and has offered us two ostrich horses for our journey. We are to meet him in about a half-hour at the edge of the woods. These tracks are too small for the local coal cars. These travel long distances. If we're lucky, we will catch up to him before they reach..." Iroh refrained from finishing as well. Everyone knew where they were eventually taking Gi Fong.

"OK then, well, we should be moving on," agreed Piandao.

Atsuko arose wiping her eyes. She nodded her approval of the decision and the three began to make their way hastily back to the inn.

* * *

"Woah!" Iroh whispered, "Look inside."

Piandao and Atsuko joined Iroh at the window.

They watched as the innkeeper served tea to several soldiers.

"Thanks for the tea," one said.

"It is a pleasure to serve such hard-working soldiers," the inn-keeper replied.

Atsuko gasped, only to be quickly shushed by Piandao.

"Listen!" he told her.

They both peered back into the window.

"We got reports of some fugitives staying here. Had any of the criminal type here lately?"

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I did. When I heard that the coup was happening, I made sure to oust them from my inn as quickly as possible. I knew you would be here soon looking for them, so I convinced them that I was on their side and that I would supply them with money and transportation to their destination."

Atsuko pulled Piandao back down.

"I thought you said this guy was on our side."

"He is. Watch."

Atsuko peered through the window again, this time focusing on the man. He kept looking at something off to the side, and then she realized that he had known that Iroh was at the window the whole time. He was covering for them!

"Where have you arranged the meeting at?"

"They are meeting me in an hour down by the docks."

"And where did you say they were heading?"

"New Ozai. Something about freeing the city from tyrant rule or some other nonsense."

"Thank you very much for your help. The Fire Nation appreciates your cooperation."

Finally, the soldiers got up and excused themselves from the inn. When they were sure that they were gone, the three reentered the inn.

"Thank goodness they didn't spot you!" exclaimed the inn-keeper.

"Thank goodness we stumbled upon your inn," said Iroh.

"The only way I know to fight this war is to trip the Fire Nation up as much as I can. They know that a lot of fugitives like my inn because of the seclusion, so they come here a lot trying to find the whereabouts of some of them. And when they do, I always do my best to send them in the complete opposite direction."

"Well, we better get going. How about those horses?" said Piandao.

"Oh yes, I'll take you there now."

* * *

By morning, the three were safely out of the town and on their way to the stronghold. When they came upon the next small town, Iroh insisted that they make another stop. Piandao and Atsuko could not quite put their finger on it, but for some reason, Iroh had become convinced that the small town was a perfect place for lunch.

"It's full of history! And, I know exactly where to get the best bean curd puffs in town!"

The two could only shrug as they entered the city gates.

They walked around for a little bit before they came upon the city square. There was a cute little hut with a green roof in the center, but even better, there was a magnificent statue placed under it.

All three gasped when they saw the statue up close.

It was none other than the volcano that loomed over the city, with a larger than life Avatar Aang assuming a victorious stance complete with his foot directly on top of the volcano.

"Iroh?" said a voice from behind.


	11. The Awakening

Chapter 10

"What are you doing here Iroh?"

"You tell me, Wu."

"Wait a minute," Piandao interrupted, "you know her?"

"Of course, Wu and myself go way back to my early days back before even Iceberg was inducted. Would you like to have your fortune told Piandao and Atsuko?"

"Why not?" said Atsuko, "It could be fun."

"Very well, Wu, I'm sorry, but we really can't stay for long, so do you have time for a quick reading right here?" asked Iroh.

"Of course, as long as you promise to come back before this year is over and visit me. We have so much catching up to do."

Piandao shuddered at the thought.

"Now then, let me see your palm...Atsuko is it?"

"Yes Wu."

"Oh please, call me Aunt Wu. Wu makes me sound like I'm twenty."

"Um, very well Aunt Wu."

"Now, let's see...oh! I see some very special feelings in you later in life. A very happy marriage indeed. But it will be a long journey. Even within the next few weeks your current relationship will be tested and stretched to its limits to see if he is right for you. But when you come out of it, you will know for sure."

"Wow, you can really see all that?"

"If I told you the truth, it would probably seem less spectacular than it does right now, so I guess you'll have to wait and find out."

Piandao had changed his mind.

"You know, we really should be going. Iroh, where are we headed next?"

"Actually, I had completely forgotten about Wu's village. From here we have a day's walk to the stronghold."

"Oh my, you three are headed to the stronghold?" asked Wu.

"Ummm, yes...is that a problem?" asked Piandao.

Wu paused.

"Ummm...No! No problem at all. Good luck, and I hope to see all of you soon. Now you must leave immediately or you will not make it before sunset tomorrow."

"Very well. Good-bye Wu!"

"Bye Aunt Wu!" said Piandao.

"Bye!" tagged on Atsuko.

"Good-bye Iroh! Good luck!"

After making their way out of earshot of the kind lady, Piandao asked Iroh very flatly, "Where'd you dig her up?"

Iroh answered solemnly, "It's a long story."

* * *

They had stopped for the night and were enjoying their evening tea when Iroh suddenly spoke up with an idea.

"How about we play a game?"

"Oh please, let's not," pleaded Atsuko.

"Yeah Iroh, I'm not in the mood for games."

"Ah, but this is no ordinary game," he added.

Piandao and Atsuko sighed, giving in.

"OK, the game is called Desert Island. If you were stuck on a desert island with anyone in the world, who would it be, and why? Who wants to start?"

"OK, I'll go," Atsuko caved, "I would want to be with Gi Fong."

"And...?" Iroh prodded.

"Oh, um...I would want to be with Gi Fong because we connect so well, and I would really like to get to know him better, and because, well, because I really like sharing stories with him. He has such interesting stories and he is such an intent listener."

"Very nice," Piandao commented as both himself and Iroh clapped, amused with Atsuko's satisfactory answer.

"Now, you go Piandao," said Iroh.

"Fine. Ummm...I would want to spend the rest of my life with my late wife. She was everything to me and..." a tear flashed, "...and I would do anything to have her back, even if it wasn't for the rest of my life."

"I'm so sorry Piandao," said Atsuko.

"Yes, Piandao. I knew your wife. She was very fair and pleasant for conversation. I could always see why you liked her so much."

"It's quite alright. I just haven't thought about her in a while, what with all of this saving the world stuff going on."

"What about you Iroh?" asked Atsuko.

"Yeah, I'm really interested to hear this answer."

"If I could spend even one day with someone on some deserted island somewhere, I know for sure who it would be. My nephew Zuko and I had started to achieve a strong bond before his untimely fall to the will of Azula. I would give anything to regain that relationship with him, even firebending."

"Well, this has been nice," said Piandao.

"Yeah, I don't really know a whole lot about either of you other than what I've learned the few months I've spent with Piandao. You both have such moving stories. All I have is a silly little romance."

"It's OK Atsuko. You have someone that you truly care for, and anyone who has that should feel no shame about it. I personally enjoyed your response and I'm glad you got to share it," said Iroh.

"Well, I think it's time we wind down," said Piandao.

"Yes, I agree. First thing tomorrow, we leave on the final stretch to the stronghold and we figure out how to get in there," said Iroh.

"Good, I'll see you two tomorrow then," said Atsuko.

"Good night," said Iroh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gi Fong awoke. It was still dark and he could only see slight shades of light around him as he began to rise to his feet.

He tried to swing his arms in front of him to support his rise from the ground, but they were tied behind his back.

He finally decided to just sit up and look around and find out about his surroundings.

The room felt familiar and he could have sworn he knew where he was if he could just give himself a minute.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts, but fortunately, answered his questions too.

"Hey Gi Fong! You're awake man. Hey, what happened to ya man! Whyd ya leave us!"

"Huh?" was all he could muster.

"It's me man, Fe!"

"Fe?"

"Yeah, Fe, from the stronghold. We've been wondrin where you shoved off to, then I comes up here for my shift, and lo and behold, here you is, lyin' here in the cell asleep or somethin'. Oh well, whatever it was, it must have been pretty bad. Long Feng's furious."

Even as tired as he was, Gi Fong still perked up at the last words.

"Did you just say, Long Feng?"

"Yep. Boy was he fumin' when they brung you in. Oh well, when they couldn't get you woke up, they jus' throwed you in here to wait for ya to come to. Too bad though, I'm sposed to report ya when ya wake up. I'll see ya in a bit Gi."

He walked out leaving Gi Fong alone, or so he thought. Right as he left, voices stirred and Gi Fong even heard some within his own cell.

Suddenly, light came and Gi Fong looked around to see a firebender in the corner making some light for everyone else in the cell to get a good look.

"How you been Gi!" shouted some familiar faces. Gi Fong was overjoyed when he saw several faces that he had known at one point or another from Pai Sho Days in the past.

He went over to the corner and began shaking hands and such and getting reaquainted. Finally, it settled down and became very quiet.

"Why is everyone getting quiet? Hey, who's that in the corner?"

Gi Fong was looking over in a still darkened corner of the cell where a man with wild hair and an untrimmed beard sat with his head bowed. He began to stand up but his face was still in shadows.

"Well, shed some light on him will ya? I still can't see him!"

The firebender expanded his flame some, just enough to cast some light on the man's still dim face. However, it was still enough.

Gi Fong blacked out again after hearing the voice say to him, "I didn't figure you'd be back so soon Gi Fong."

* * *

A/N: Guess who's baaaack!


	12. The Tunnel

Chapter 11

"Well, here we are," said Iroh.

"That's an understatement," said Atsuko.

The three had finally made it. Before them stood the great stronghold of the Lower Ranks. At lease a hundred war balloons were in flight overhead and a hundred more on the roof of the building. The Dai Li were outside the building providing a border patrol for any outsiders looking for a way in.

"I had heard stories from ferry riders, but I never knew..." Atsuko trailed off.

"Yes, it is quite magnificent. But unfortunately for us, it looks are matched by its strength. It is not like most Fire Nation fortresses that appear a lot more menacing than they are. Gi Fong told me that every Dai Li agent was stationed here, except for the ones taken along for support on the coal cars," said Iroh.

"Did he tell you about a secret entrance perhaps?" asked Piandao.

"We don't need a secret entrance. We are going to make one. Gi Fong explained in full to me how he got in the last time, and we will use a similar strategy. In fact, in a lot of ways, it will be easier for us because we can see. I will be providing sufficient light for us so that we can find their previous entrance quicker. It will be much easier for us to break through the floor if we use the entrance that Toph created last time."

"Wait a minute, who is Toph?" asked Atsuko.

"Ah, you will meet her someday. Very fine earthbender herself. She bent open the metal floor so that they could get in from the bottom up."

"Wait, how did they know where to come up at? You said they didn't have a firebender with them."

"Toph felt it out for them."

"What?"

"She felt the earth and rock around her and knew when they were directly under the metal. Then, Iceberg pinpointed them to a vacant spot with his detection powers that he developed. He told me in a letter that he was working on being able to sense water wherever it was, including the water in humans. So, I'm assuming he just looked for the spot in the floor with the least amount of water and knew that there wouldn't be any guards there."

"I'm sorry, I still don't get this feeling the earth thing," complained Atsuko. "Who is this Toph girl and why in the world would she want to feel the earth? And then you said she bent open the metal floor? This sounds farfetched even for you Iroh."

"Ah, I see. Toph is the Avatar's earthbending teacher. They found her in a small earth kingdom village living with her overprotective parents."

"Why were they so overprotective?"

"Because she was...well, is blind."

Atsuko paused, "HAHA!! Oh, you had me going for a second. Now, seriously, how did they get into the stronghold?"

Iroh only stared.

"Heh..eh...wait, you're serious?"

Iroh nodded.

"Oh."

"Yes, so, anyway, as I was saying, Toph is blind but she uses her earthbending to feel vibrations in the ground so that she can, in a sense, "see" with earthbending."

"Yes, yes, that's all very well, but what about the metal?"

"Well, metal is made of refined earth right?"

"Sure, but there isn't enough earth there to bend."

"Not true, there is not enough concentration of earth for most earthbenders to bend. But, Toph uses her perception to "feel" the fragments of earth still in the metal, and she is able to focus her energy on those fragments and, literally, bend the metal."

"It's true Atsuko. I saw her myself when the Avatar visited my home. Every word of what Iroh said is true."

"Wow. I guess I have a long way to go huh?"

The three laughed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"OK, we ready to go?" asked Iroh.

"Let's do it," said the other two.

"Alright then, down we go."

Atsuko took her stance and thrust forward creating a few hundred feet of tunnel to start out with.

"Now, this is where it gets tricky. We need to stay close to the surface so that when we get to the stronghold, we will be right up to the floor so that we can see where the hole was."

And so they went on like this for about fifteen minutes. With their smaller party size, they were able to start closer to the stronghold and still remain unseen, so their journey would be a lot less lengthy.

Every once in a while, Atsuko would hit a spot and water would begin to pour through the ceiling of the tunnel.

"Quick, close it up!" shouted Iroh, and Atsuko obeyed, quickly replacing the hole with some dirt and rock.

Eventually, Atsuko thrust forward and hit metal.

"Very good, we have reached the stronghold. Now, we need to go down below the foundation so that we can accurately find our mark," instructed Iroh.

Finally, after about ten minutes of searching, they found what appeared to be a seam in the floor where two pieces of metal had been pushed together.

"That must be it," said Piandao.

"Good, alright, now...Piandao, give me your sword," said Iroh.

He placed his hand on the blade and began heating the metal until it was at a constant glow.

"Now, take this, and shove it up through the seam there, and I'll begin melting the metal so that you can start moving it along and separating it all down the line. Eventually, all Atsuko will have to do is wait for the room to be empty and throw a rock at the seam and it will give way allowing us to slip up into the room."

And so that is what they did. Eventually, the seam was fully separated again, and Atsuko took her stance ready to bust through.

"Alright, as soon as we get through, we will cut through the hall that Long Feng used to be in. We'll battle our way through there and get rid of whoever is leading now before we go through with the rest of the plan. If the place doesn't have a leader, it will be harder for them to organize and get us if by some chance they find out that they are here. Once we are through, we cut through to the uniform room and change there," finished Iroh.

"Cool. Let's go," said Piandao.

Atsuko pushed up with all her might and was able to bust the hole open. As soon as she released, she brought herself, Iroh, and Piandao back down and covered the hole back up with dirt in case any guards heard the bang and came rushing.

After ten minutes of silence, the three were convinced that they were alright and decided that now was the time to go.

Atsuko bended away the rest of the dirt and rose the three up on a platform to crawl through the hole.

They all three made it through and were ready to go when an alarm sounded.

"Uh oh, they know we're here!" said Atsuko.

"I don't think so," said Piandao, "There are no guards here. If they knew we were here, then they would not hesitate to let us know that we were found out. Something else must be going on."

"Good, then we have a distraction while we make for the leader's hall," said Iroh.

"Then let's go," prompted Atsuko, and the three began to make their way to the hall.

* * *

A/N: Oh, it's torture isn't it? Suddenly these three seem so boring don't they? Don't worry, there are still four chapters left, plenty will happen, I promise. Read and review, please and thank you.


	13. The Reunion

Chapter 12

"I just...I just don't understand it. I watched you fall. I watched as you came out from that pillar and took Long Feng with you. And now, you're both here, and still alive?! I've been down in that pit before and I know there is nothing down there except the metal floor. You can't be...you just can't be."

"But I am," reassured Iceberg, "and right now, that is all you need to worry about. Everything is about to be taken care of, and afterwards, you will learn everything."

Gi Fong finally calmed down.

"OK then, what's the strategy?"

"I'm glad you asked. Is anyone with you?"

"No. I was with Iroh, Piandao, and a girl named Atsuko back at the ferry town when it was taken over. There was a coup that night and I was sleeping outside when it happened. The coal car, it just appeared, and the next thing I knew, I was here in this cell. We were on our way here though to liberate the rest of the order from the stronghold, so, now, I can only assume that they are on their way."

"Yes. If I know Iroh like I think I do, he wouldn't leave you here. Especially if this was his mission anyway. Now, let's see, where were you when you were captured, the ferry town you say?"

"Yes."

"Good, now, knowing Iroh, he will have taken the route through Wu's town to get here."

"How do you know that?"

Iceberg gave him a blank stare. "You two haven't spent much time together have you?"

"I guess not."

"Anyway, if he does take that route, it will only take a few days. Assuming you were captured last night, that means they will be here tomorrow. Perfect. Now, what was your plan once you got here?"

"We were going to go to the uniform room and then come out in Dai Li uniforms. Iroh, Piandao, and myself were going to come here and Atsuko was going to head for the roof to cut loose a ship for us to transport all the prisoners."

"Very good. So, you were planning the same entrance we used last time?"

"Yes."

"Good. That makes our job a lot easier. Now, all we have to do is distract the rest of the base long enough for them to get through..." Iceberg stopped.

"What?" asked Gi Fong.

"They don't know Long Feng is still here. They are going to cut through the main hall without knowing who is there, and by the time they find out that it is Long Feng, it will be too late."

"I don't know. It is Iroh," said Gi Fong.

"True, I guess. But still, Long Feng will know he is coming and will be heavily protected."

"I guess you're right. We'll have to make a pretty big distraction then. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, your friend the guard is not the ripest apple on the tree, is he?"

"...No," Gi Fong said flatly.

"In that case, he is going to be key. Your arrival makes this so much easier. All you have to do is convince him to get you more food. Hopefully, he'll be willing to get you a plate too large for the slot. Then, when he opens the door, we simply over-power him."

"But what if he doesn't go for it?"

"Do you really not expect me to have a back-up plan?"

Iceberg then stood up and pulled from behind him his pouch. Gi Fong could not help but giggle in delight as he watched him hack a bar in two with one swipe.

"Full moon?" he asked.

"Full moon." Iceberg nodded.

* * *

"This way!" Iroh said.

"How do you know?" asked Atsuko.

"I don't!"

Atsuko sighed. The alarm had really worried her. If Gi Fong was in fact here, then there was a good chance that the alarm was because of him. She shunned the rest of the thought from her mind.

"Wow, you were right!" said Piandao as they stopped at a large door.

"Huh...I guess so. Well, no turning back now. Remember the plan, charge in and don't waste any time with preliminary chit-chat. We go in, we fight through whoever is in charge, and we get to the uniform room," instructed Iroh.

"Got it," Atsuko gave a thumbs up.

"Got it," Piandao repeated.

"Alright then, here we go," said Iroh.

He backed up, inhaled and exhaled. Began feeling for the energy in the air, separating it and then allowing it to crash back together. He did not want to waste all of his strength on the door with his new technique while not knowing who was behind it.

The smoke cleared and the doors had fallen. The three rushed in only to have all of their plans ruined.

"Hello there Iroh," said Long Feng with a renewed look of malice.

* * *

"I can't believe he didn't go for it!" shouted Gi Fong over the alarm.

"It's ok, it still worked didn't it?" asked Iceberg back as he ran alongside Gi Fong who was leading the fifty-some prisoners up the stairs.

A guard suddenly revealed himself out of the wall. Gi Fong quickly revealed his stolen rock hand from an earlier encountered Dai Li agent and struck the man on the head with it. He fell down unconscious.

"I guess so, but still. I'd rather have saved our strength from that door. I figured you had weakened the bars more than that."

Two Dai Li appeared from the top of the next flight of stairs and threw their hands at the two leaders. They separated and from behind them a firebender shot out a fearsome blast deflecting the two rock hands. Gi Fong quickly grabbed the hands and reversed their direction, quickly pinning the agents to each other. Iceberg acted just as quickly and shot out water and froze the agents' hands together as well, reinforcing Gi Fong's earthbending.

"I'm sorry but I didn't want to get found out. You have no idea what they do for torture around he...," then he remembered,"...oh."

Gi Fong nodded his head.

"It's OK. We're almost to the top."

"Yes. I've been stuck here for a month, but at least I can be thankful that I ONLY have to climb one more flight of stairs."

"You can go back down to the cell if you want. Fe's nice, he'll keep you company," Gi Fong with a false air of glee in his voice.

"Why do you feel the need to do that?" asked Iceberg.

"Why do you feel the need to complain so much?"

Iceberg started, then said defeatedly, "OK, you got me."

"Good,"said Gi Fong, "Here we are!"

"Nuh-uh, silly boys..." said a voice from above them.

Gi Fong and Iceberg then dawned expressions of horror as the girl in pink began cartwheeling down the stairs.

* * *

A/N: Now, that was exciting. It makes me happy to know that I have a whole three chapters left to finish this thing out, and I'm sure it must make you wonder what I have still in store. Well, fear not. I will deliver soon...

Read and review, please and thank you!


	14. The Defeat

Chapter 13

"Everyone! Move to the roof! Atsuko and Iroh should be waiting for you!" exclaimed Gi Fong.

"Iceberg, you stay with me. Iroh told me about her once. Watch her jabs. If she gets you, she'll block your chi and you won't be able to bend anymore."

"Gotcha," confirmed Iceberg, "Let's take her."

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"How did you survive?!" exclaimed Atsuko.

"Actually, you have your little water tribe outcast to thank for that one," answered Long Feng.

"Don't you dare tempt me with those insults Long Feng. Pakoda was three times the man you ever were!" Iroh shouted infuriatingly.

"Oh hush you old gasbag! If he was such a great man, why is he upstairs right now, rotting in a cell...just like you were?"

The harsh words stung, but Iroh had heard enough.

"Has Azula's grip reached so far Long Feng? You once held the great city of Ba Sing Se in your grasp, and even more impressive, you kept me out of it. But all of a sudden, we find you bending to the will of a fifteen year old girl who bested you in a contest of wits? And now you dare insult the man that has not only spared your life on numerous occasions, but continues to do so without any regard for the path of evil and malice that you have decided to follow? NO! I will not stand for it, and you are most unfortunate that my patience and compassion do not stretch as far as Pakoda's."

"We'll see whose compassion will be tested. You know all too well that I'm not too keen on sparing defeated souls."

Iroh snapped.

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"You ready for her?" asked Iceberg.

"Ready." said Gi Fong.

Ty Lee had finally caught up with the two men who were more than ready for her by the time she reached them. The rest of the prisoners had already escaped past the guards except for the firebender, Zho.

When she finally reached the level of the three men, they quickly surrounded her forcing her to guess where the first blow would come from. Suddenly, without warning, the entire prison rocked with a sound louder than anyone had heard before. The men had stumbled and before they could regain themselves, Ty Lee had already begun to make her move.

She started with Zho, sensing he was the least experienced. He regained himself in time to create a shield of fire to block the incoming jabs, but in the process prevented himself from initiating a counter, leaving him wide open when his shield dissipated. Ty Lee took advantage and was about to go at him again when the prison rocked again even more ferociously than it had the first time. Unfortunately for Ty Lee, she could not keep herself going after the second blast. She paused to regain her balance but it was too late for her.

At her moment of weakness, Iceberg whipped out what water he still had remaining and pulled some from the air as well to add to it. Gi Fong crushed all of the earth he had until it was nothing but dust. The two forced their elements together and sent them both at Ty Lee, covering her in a great amount of mud and sludge. But to seal the deal, Iceberg froze the mud to the floor, allowing them just enough time to get to the roof for their escape.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Iroh could feel the energy his own body was creating out of rage.

"Atsuko, get out of here. Get to the roof, there's no time to get a uniform." he whispered to her.

She obeyed and fled the room as quickly as possible, sensing what the powerful man was about to do.

Iroh finally began to feel his energy start to cap off and unleashed the most fearsome blast of raw power and fire ever seen at the now cowering Long Feng.

Long Feng attempted to dodge, but was badly burnt from the outrageous flames.

"You blew it Long Feng! The Avatar is alive and you are on the wrong side! But, alas, I cannot stoop to your level. I will be the bigger man, and I will walk away from this fight before the foul stench of your tyranny convinces me to do otherwise. I could dismiss you from the mortal world right now and after what you put me though, be justified and rightful in my doing so, but I'm not going to. Instead, I'm going to leave you here Long Feng. I'm going to leave you here in the stench of your defeat. I'm going to leave you here in this prison of lies that you tell yourself. I'm going to leave you here, to wallow in the shame of your own downfall. And I ask you Long Feng, great leader of the Lower Ranks of the Fire Nation Army, what can be worse than that?

Iroh then turned, and left Long Feng.

But Long Feng would not see it end this way. He was disabled, but he still had his one shot. His one last chance at glory in battle. He knew he could slay the dragon of the west.

Standing once more as best he could, he brought forth all of the rock and earth from platform he stood on, and sent it all, directly toward Iroh.

However, Iroh knew Long Feng too well, and was already preparing for his counter.

Upon hearing Long Feng stand up, Iroh paused and began to center his chi. Long Feng was far too distracted to see the already preparing Iroh as he separated the energy around him. Iroh felt for the separation as best he could and found it, surprised at how quick the opening came. He finally began to pull the energy in the air apart awaiting the final struggle of Long Feng as he sent his attack towards the fully prepared Iroh.

He turned, and released, forcing all the energy in the direction of the mound of earth coming towards him. It made contact causing a massive explosion that sent shards of rock and debris flying everywhere. When the dust cleared, Iroh looked, and Long Feng was nowhere to be found, when all of a sudden, he heard from below him a hollow and lifeless thump on the metal floor.

Iroh sighed as he began to make his way to the roof, "And that is the end of that..."


	15. The Future

Chapter 14

Iroh was out of breath by the time he made it to the roof. He emerged and was engulfed by the great light of the day that he hadn't felt in what felt like weeks.

"Are you coming or not?" a familiar voice shouted.

Iroh looked up to see Gi Fong hanging by a rope from one of the huge airships that was already in mid-air.

"Gi Fong!" Iroh shouted back, "It's you!"

"I know! Just hop on and I'll explain everything!"

Iroh obeyed. He ran up, jumped, and grabbed the last bit of rope that was left. When he was sure that Iroh was on, Gi Fong began his ascent of the rope as did Iroh. In a matter of moments the two were safely in the ship and Atsuko finally let the ship float away from the island.

* * *

Gi Fong was out of breath when he had finished explaining his journey from the cell of the stronghold. It seemed so much more incredible telling it to such an intent listener as Iroh. He was equally as engaged in Iroh's recounting of his final encounter with Long Feng, although Iroh seemed to be less enthusiastic about his side of what took place. When the subject came up later in private, Pakoda told Gi Fong to not worry about it. He said that one day, he'll understand why it is so hard for Iroh to speak of that horrible man.

When Iroh and Pakoda were reunited, it was like their friendship started all over again. Immediately, the two retired to a more private corner of the ship to share stories of things they have seen and to update each other on significant events in each other's lives.

Gi Fong soon found himself busy as well with Atsuko in another corner as the two "reunited".

Piandao got a head count to assure himself that everyone was present that should be, and took a list of benders, fighters, and then everyone else. He knew that the numbers would be important in the coming days. Summer was ending.

* * *

Eventually, the leaders of the group; Pakoda, Piandao, Iroh, Gi Fong, Atsuko, and the fire-bender from the stronghold, Jeong Jeong, met at the bow of the airship to discuss the next move.

"Well, I'll start off," said Iroh, "I'm sure you all noticed Piandao taking names earlier this evening, and you may have all come to your own conclusions about why he was doing so. And so I'll just tell you now. Yes, the rumors are true, and we are going to meet with the Avatar. We already know where he is going to be thanks to the conversation Pakoda was able to muster at their previous meeting. And yes, we are planning to fight."

"No Iroh," said Jeong Jeong, "even if we had probable cause, you can not organize a White Lotus army without approval from the five council members!"

"Jeong Jeong," interrupted Pakoda, "who are the five council members?"

"You, me, Iroh, Piandao, and Gi Fo...oh."

Jeong Jeong looked around the circle embarrassed at his outburst.

"Your point is taken, but I still don't see any probable cause to make ourselves known. We've stayed out of the war so far, I don't see any reason to fight now."

"Because, Jeong Jeong," Gi Fong said, "enough people have died already because no one was there for them. The Avatar disappeared, and the world lost hope. He returned, the world thought he died and lost hope again. Now, he has returned once more, but you know better than I do that the people of the world are not so inclined to be as believing the third time around. The Avatar can't do this alone Jeong Jeong. He needs our help now, and I place my tile, in support of whatever military means Iroh and Pakoda have in mind."

"Me too," said Atsuko with a smile aimed at Gi Fong.

"As am I," agreed Piandao.

The entire group looked to Jeong Jeong.

With hesitation, Jeong Jeong accepted with a smile, saying, "Whatever you two gasbags have in mind is good enough for me."

Iroh and Pakoda then laid out their plans, the plans that would shape the destiny of the White Lotus, the Avatar, the Fire Nation, and the entire world.

The End.

* * *

Yep. That's it. That's the end. No more. The trilogy is over. It's been a fun ride, for what it's worth, and even though this post is very very delayed, I hope that my very few readers didn't quit on me. From here, the story follows the plot of the real show and the outcome is the same. Any questions about OCs or any other such things are more than welcome and you should feel free to ask me anything you want. I respond quickly. Other than that, I'm through. I wash my hands of this fanfic, and I am totally prepared to start my next challenge. Thanks for reading jlandz09


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